


Aperture Falls

by CaptainLeBubbles



Series: Open-Ended Shorts [3]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Gen, Portal AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-23
Updated: 2018-04-23
Packaged: 2019-04-27 00:25:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14413698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainLeBubbles/pseuds/CaptainLeBubbles
Summary: Thirty years ago, Stan came to Gravity Falls at his brother's request and the pair were trapped miles underground running tests for an evil ai created by Ford. They escaped and sealed off the basement, but it was inevitable that their past would come back to haunt them. Now the kids have been taken by BiLL, and it will be up to Stan and Ford to bring them back.





	Aperture Falls

**Author's Note:**

> Let me stress as hard as I can that this work _will not be continued_. It was an idea I played with a while back that I thought people might enjoy, but I didn't feel like continuing it once I got this much written.
> 
> The only context you need for this that isn't included is that Stan gets the standard portal gun + longfall boots, but to avoid redundancy I gave Ford a gun that fires testing gels and magnet boots.

There’s been a buzzing in Stan’s ear since Wendy came running up through the gift shop to tell him about the twins finding the hidden passage to the basement, about the three of them going downstairs to explore, about the lift they’d found and stepped into and she hadn’t thought to follow them and it had turned itself on and vanished and the last thing she’d heard was a high, cold, cruel laugh that felt like nails on her spine and made her hair stand on end and now the twins are gone and they need to go after them and, and, and and and-

He’d gone and found Ford, leaving Wendy to deal with the tour group, and by the time they came back downstairs the Shack was empty apart from Soos and Wendy, who follow them down into the basement despite the lack of invitation.

“You two need to stay up here,” Ford says sternly, while Stan hits buttons and dials that are themselves hidden in the walls. A panel in the wall turns around, revealing a pair of, for lack of a better word, guns, and two pairs of- for lack of a better word- boots, and a pair of ordinary burgundy jumpsuits.

They look different than they did thirty years ago. Ford has upgraded them extensively in the past three decades, needing to feel prepared in case _He_ ever escaped. Stan had always hoped they’d never need them, but- well, this time he can’t fault his brother’s paranoia. They’re going to need those upgrades if they’re going to beat _Him_ , they’re going to need the edge of _Him_ not knowing everything they’ve got at their disposal.

At least this time around they’re not going in blind. They know what to expect, at least somewhat- no doubt _He’s_ made upgrades too, but they can still prepare, as best they can. Stan takes down two backpacks, each stuffed with anything they might need down there- rations, a first aid kit, an emergency blanket, even a spare pair of glasses and, in Stan’s case, a backup hearing aid. There’ll be no repeat of the mistakes they made before.

So they change into the jumpsuits and shoulder the packs and clip on the utility belts that carry the tools Ford made for them, step into the boots that fit so much more comfortably now- Stan notices that he no longer has to balance on his toes, the weight distribution is much more even now- and finally they slip their hands into the guns, only barely wincing as the guns lock onto their arms to keep them in place.

Stan wiggles his fingers into the triggers, and is surprised when he finds a second pair, and a fifth for his thumb. Those hadn’t been there before. He gives Ford a confused look, but Ford’s face is impassive, he’s in scientist mode, he’s in testing mode, Stan isn’t going to get any answers from him any time soon, so instead he reaches out and rests his free hand reassuringly on Soos’s shoulder. He doesn’t have any right to ask what he’s about to ask of him, not when Soos won’t even fully comprehend what he’s being asked unless Stan and Ford succeed and are able to come back and explain themselves-

-except they will make it back, Stan is determined to. They’ll get down there and find the twins and bring them home and maybe while they’re there they’ll find a way to beat _Him_ for good, so they can stop worrying about it.

“Listen, Soos,” Stan forces himself to say. “This may be the last order I ever give you and it’s up to you if you want to cut your losses and run-”

“Never,” Soos says, and Stan knows he means it, but the kid doesn’t understand, can’t understand, might never understand-

“Listen. What’s down in that basement is dangerous. If it ever gets out, it could destroy the whole town. It could kill everyone. We’ve kept things on lockdown here but if we don’t make it back, then you’ll need to take over. Keep the Shack running or shut it down, it doesn’t matter, but make sure that whatever is in that basement stays there.”

“Yes, sir, Mr. Pines,” Soos says, saluting. He looks stern and determined and a little bit frightened but not as pants-wettingly terrified as he should.

“Are you sure you understand?” he asks. “Tell me again. I need to hear you say the words.”

“Watch the Shack until you get back and make sure nothing bad escapes from the basement.”

_Until you get back_. “Soos-”

“-and once you get back then you can tell us what’s going on.”

He can’t do it. He can’t bring himself to shatter that hope. He lets his hand fall with a sigh. “Okay, Soos. Just… wanted to make sure.” He turns to Wendy next. “Wendy-”

“I got it, dude,” Wendy says. She looks more laid back and chill than ever, which means she is as terrified as Soos should be. Stan hates that, but he’s kind of grateful, too. He doesn’t expect her to stick around longer than a few days if they don’t come back, but at least Soos will have someone he can talk to about what happened, even if neither of them will be sure.

“Time to go, Stanley,” Ford says quietly, so Stan shifts the gun to rest on his shoulder and they go to the lift. It never came back after it took the twins, which is kind of a good thing, Stan thinks: it means _He_ doesn’t expect them to follow. They can use that. It is going to make getting down there harder, though.

“I hate this part,” Stan says, hooking his left arm around Ford’s shoulder and feeling Ford mirror the motion with his right arm around Stan’s waist. There’s static visibly discharging from the side of his own gun and his boots, and then he’s says, ‘Hop!’ and does so, catching the side of his gun against the wall and using his feet to steady and guide them as they spiral around the lift tube.

Stan’s eyes are clenched tight against the dizzying height and motion, so there’s no warning when they finally land. He steps away from his brother and straightens, trying to orient himself, and then the two nod.

“We’re gonna make it back,” Stan says suddenly, and gets a baffled look from Ford. He swallows, and repeats, “We’re gonna make it back. I’m not leaving Soos to run my business, he’ll ruin the place. So we’ve gotta make it back.”

For just one moment the dead look Ford has taken on falls away to be replaced by a more familiar openness, and he nods.

“All right, Stanley. We’re going to make it back.”

**Author's Note:**

> I mean, this definitely ended better than my other Portal au did. Probably.
> 
> Want to see more from me? Hit me up on Tumblr @grifalinas!


End file.
